The secret world of Frida Kahlo through her drawing

Where does the expressive power of Frida Kahlo’s art come from? What lies behind the magnetism of her gaze? The answers are found in the least-known aspect of her work. ARTIKA has brought together a selection of her private drawings in an exclusive edition that reveals how one of the 20th century’s greatest artists created, felt and dreamed.

The drawings of Frida Kahlo

Together, dreams sketched in pencil, secret portraits, doodles and notes serve as a priceless source for a better understanding of Frida Kahlo (1907-1954). They provide a glimpse into the artist’s intimate universe, forged out of passions and disappointments. However, only a few dozen of her drawings have survived. Many were lost after her death. Others belong to private collections or are inaccessible. Which makes this meticulous study that brings together a scattered legacy for the first time even more important.

Selfportrait Dedicated to Marte R. Gomez, 1946. The Ulla and Heiner Pietzsch Collection, Berlin ©Photo: Jens Ziehe, Berlin / The Dream or Selfportrait Dreaming II, 1932. Juan Coronel collection ©Photo: Rafael Doniz
© 2021 Banco de México Diego Rivera & Frida Kahlo Museums Trust. Av. 5 de Mayo No. 2, col. Centro, alc. Cuauhtémoc, c.p. 06000, Mexico City

Diaries and private notes

Frida Kahlo spoke openly about her intimate experiences. Her drawings feature erotic fantasies to a greater extent than her oil paintings, where several references are masked to a certain degree. Since these were private drawings, only given to friends and lovers, most provide an unfiltered glimpse into the artist’s dream world.

A day that changed her life

While her paintings contain many hidden meanings, it is in her drawings that we find the keys to understanding Frida Kahlo’s art. A drawing like The Accident (1926) speaks to the tragic event that would mark her life. Physical pain is the most difficult human dimension to express and share, yet Kahlo managed to transform personal suffering into art in its purest form.

The Accident, 1926. Juan Coronel collection.
© Photo: Rafael Doniz © 2021 Banco de México Diego Rivera & Frida Kahlo Museums Trust. Av. 5 de Mayo No. 2, col. Centro, alc. Cuauhtémoc, c.p. 06000, Mexico City

The Dreams of Frida Kahlo

• • A limited edition that reveals Frida Kahlo’s most intimate and little-known creations with the help of top experts.

• • ARTIKA has compiled material that includes self-portraits, photos of friends and lovers, fantasies, dreamlike scenes, landscapes and still lifes.

• Frida Kahlo’s drawings, never intended for the public eye, represent an authentic part of her body of work because they reveal the artist’s longings, fears and fantasies.